Electromagnetic device.



B. R. CARICHCPF. ELECTROMAGNETIC DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25, 1909,

Patented Ma1x3 1, 1914.

3 SHEETSSHEET l.

JAZYENTQR EUGENE H. CAHZCHUFE B. R. GARIGHOPF.

ELECTROMAGNETIC DEVICE.

APPLIGATION FILED -111111125. i909.

1,091,630. Patented Mar.'31,1914,

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

wig-2 ATT).

' E. R. CARIOHOFF. ELECTROMAGNETIC DEVICE,

' 7" APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25. 1909- I 1,091,630, Patented Mar. 31,1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Wi -137555551 JNIZENTUH m EUGENE H. UAHIE'HUJ'JI' UNITED STATES PATENTornron.

EUGENE R. CARICHOFF, 'OIE SCHENECTADY, YORK, ASSIGNOR' TO GENERALELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK. I

ELECTROMAGNETIYEC DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 25, 1909. Serial No. 504,321.

To a? Z whom it'may concern Be it known that L'EUGENE R. CABI- cirorr, acitizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady/in the county ofSchnectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Electromagnetic Devices, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to electrically controlled switches'or relays.

It is especially useful: in connection with systems of motor. control inwhich a plurality of electrically controlled switches are arranged tooperate in succession to increase step-by-step the potential applied tothe,

motor. Among such systems of control are those, now well-known, in whicha pair of notching relays are employed for the purpose of regulating thesuccessive closing of the switches which control the voltage applied tothe motor. This system of con- 'trol is covered by a patent in the nameof not limitedtoany particular system of control itisxparticularly welladapted for use in-connection wi-tlilthesystem which is deiscribedaandclaimed, inmy patent applicationSerial No.'715,007,gfiled August 14,

1912, which is a division of this application.

By my present improvements, hereinafter fully described, I am abletoproyide relays in which the movable magnetic core will be released bythe series coil at substantially the same current in the latter;regardless,

within certain,limits, 0i the position in which it is when raised- I amalso able to provide for easy adjustment of the value of current in theSeries coil at which the MM 1 Awm aha at. whichit will pull up.

Other featuresof my invention will be understood from the followingdescription tallre ;1 in connection with the drawings, in w 1c Figure. 1illustrates diagrammatically a simple system of motor control having myinvention embodied therein; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the notchingrelays used in the system of Fig. '1; and Fig. 3 is a side elevation,partly in section, of one of said.

relays.

Patented Mai-.31, 1914'.

In order that the functions and mode of operation of my' improvedrelaymay be clearly understood I will first describe a system of motorcontrol in which this relay is employed and will then describe in detailthe relay which is the subject matter of my present application.

Referring to Fig. 1, the motor to be controlled is shown at M and theresistance, interposed in the motor circuit at starting and cutoutsection-by-section in order to increase the voltage applied to themotor,

is indicated at R R R R and R The motor is connected to the sourcethrough all of the resistance by an electrically controlled switch orcontactor'L, and contactors 1 to 5 inclusive serve to short-c1rcuit thesections of resistance R to R respectively. The contactors' L and 1 1305are controlled by a master-switch K, shown in the usual conventional,manner, as having fingersa to a which cooperate with segments on a drumshown in developed form. Notching relays O and 0, shown in the usualconventional -manne'r as having series. coils P and P located in themotor circuitandshunt coils Q, and Q, located in certain controlcircuits, control'certain actuating circuits for the ,con tactors in themanner set forth in the Cubitt' application above referred to, with theexception that certain additional contacts are added to these relays forpurposes previously alluded to and hereinafter fully explained. Thecontactors L and 1 to 5 are provided with certainauxiliary switches or;

interlocks which make and break certain control circuits for the purposeof insuring the successive operation of the eontactors.

Q hoeneeti These auxiliary switches are shown in the usual conventionalmanneras being of the disk type which lends itself particularly well todiagrammatic illustration. The order in which these auxiliary switchesclose will he parent from the diagram, but it may he s ited that when acontacto'r closes the middle interlock first closes and then the lowerone opens and the upper one closes. The manner in which the interlockingswitches and the notching relays O and O cooperate will he understoodfrom a description of the operation of the system as whole which willnow be set forth.

If the master-switch K is moved to its tirst on position, the actuatingcoil oi the line contactor L is connected to the plus side of the sourcethrough controller fingers a and b and their cooperating segments,

through wire 5, lower interlock on contactor L, actuating wire 6,contacts 0 of relay 0. shunt coil Q5 of relay 0, to the return wire 7and through fingers h and and their to operating segments to the minusside ot the source. The switch L will, therefore, close and willcomplete the motor circuit through all of the resistance R to R as willhe eas ily traced in the diagram, it being noted. that this circuitpasses through the series coils P and P on the notching relays 0 and O.The contactor L in closing closes itsmiddle interlock and opens itslower one, thereby shifting its actuating coil from connection with theactuating wire connection with the maintaining wire 8 which leads backto the source without going through the contacts of the notching relays.The contactor L in closing also closes its u per interlock, therebyconnecting one side of the actuating coil of the resistance controllingcontractor 1 to the other actuating wire 9 which leads to the commonreturn wire 7 through the contacts 0 on the relay Q and shunt coil Q ofthe relay 0, a circuit which, however, will be temporarily interruptedby the relay 0 which pulled. slightly before or simultaneously withclosing of contactor L, eyplaired in the Cubitt patent above referredto. It the master-switch K is moved to its second position, theactuating coil of the contactor 1 will be connected to the plus side ofthe source through the wire 10 and this cont-actor will, therefore,close as soon as the relay 0 drops, It will be noted that the shuntcoils Q and Q of the relays O and O are energized only momentarily asthe circuits through them are interrupted at the lower interlocks on thecontactors; the cores of these relays are, therefore, maintained intheir raised positions only by the series holding coils P and P, asexplained in the Cubitt patent above referred to. The relays O and 0may, of course, be provided u p, the

with dash-pots, or other devices, for the purpose oi introducing a timeinterval hetwecn the operation of successive contactors, independent Iof the current in the motor circuit, and such dashpots are shown asprovided in the relays illustrated in Figs. 2 and 8. Each resistancecontrolling contactor in closing closes its middle interlock and opensits lower one, therehyshifting its actuating coil from connection to oneof the actuating wires 6 or 9 to connection with the maintaining wire 11which lea to themturn wire 7 through the conta on the relays O and 0;.These contacts is and 7c are connected in parallel and, therefore,.themaintaining circuit for the resist-- .ance control contactors will beinterrupted only when the cores of both of the relays Q O are raised. Asstated above, during normal operation the series coils l and P of therelays O and KO serve, merely to hold the cores of these relays intraised position as long as the current in the rcuit exceeds a certainvalue, and said coils will not produce a magnetic field strong enough toactually lift the cores of the relays until the motor current exceeds aconsiderably higher value. For this reason, the maintaining circuitforthe resistance controlling contactors, through the vire 11, ternate li'ng of the cores of the relays O and U Ctr 1115; normal operation incutting out the resistance,-hut'will be interrupted only when thecurrent in the motor circuit rises to the. excessive overload value atwhich the series coils on the relays actuallypull up the cores of thelatter. ll however, at any time, either during the starting of the motoror while the control system is in the full speed position, the currentin the niotor exceeds the excessive value referred to above, the relaysO and 0 will pull up and the actuating coils oil a resistance COP.trolling contactors w ll be deener izcd,

motor c1 motor may be controlled through the lower contacts and 7: onthe relays O and O. In the particular arrangement shown, the resistancecontrolling contactors can he closed one at a time in responsetomovements of the master-switch K or, if desired, the master-switch maybe thrown to its full will not be interrupted by the. al-' It will,

The details of construction of the notch-' ing relays ()and O, are shownin Figs. 2 and 3. The series coils P and P and the shunt coils Q, and Q'are arranged ina single iron frame l5 of the form clearly shown in thedrawings, said frame being secured to a back or panel 16 ofsiiitable'insulating material, such as slate, by means of bolts 17 and18. The contacts 0 and 7c and the contacts 0 and k are shown as of awell-known form comprising disks carried by the movable cores l9'and 20of the relays, said disks cooperatingwith fixed pontacts secured to thepanel 16 in any suitable manner." Thepoints at which the control wires6,-'7 and 9 connect with the fixed contacts of therelays and with thecommon terminal of the coils Q and Q, are indicated inFig. 2 by thereference characters 6, 7 and 9, 1t being. understood that theconnections of Fig. 2 corre-- spond exactly with the diagram, Fig. l.The terminals of the series coils P and P are shown at 21 and 22, thesecoils being connected together at their upper ends by a yoke 23, whichis clearly shown inFig. 2. Referring now particularly to Fig. 3, thecore 20 is shown as arranged for movement within a tube 25, of brass orother non-mag netic material, extending through the coils Qand P and theupper and bottom yokes of the frame'lo. The core 20 is guided withinthis tube by a brass washer 26 secured to the bottom of the frame 15 byscrews 27 shown in Fig. 2, and by a piston 28 carried on a rod 29 whichis secured to and extends upwardly from'the upper end of the core 20.This piston 28 may serve as the movable member of a dash-pot, of whichthe cylinder member is the shell 25, which may be provided at its topwith a valve 80 of any suitable form,'whi'ch' will permit air and theshell 25 is, however, not essential to' the successful operation of myrelays and is only provided for the purpose of allowing a time limit tobe given to the operation of the relays and consequently to thesuccessive-closin of the contactors'controlled by them. The upper end.of the core 20 is tapered as shown, and, in its-upper position,

this tapered end projects intoa fixed iron shell3l mounted within thecoil P, as 'clearly' shown .in Fig. Above the fixed shell 31 is an ironshell 32 which is adjust:

able toward and away from the fined shell As shown, the shell 32 isthreaded'and screws into the upper end of the frame f5, being held inany desired position by av set screw 33, thisshell 32 being provided atits upper end with a nut-shaped head to facili: tate rotation of saidshell. By adjustment of the shell 32 theair gap between its lower endand the upperen'd era-1e fixed shell 31 can be adjusted and' -tlieperi'neability of the magnetic circuit throughthe coils P and Q can beregulated, therebypermitting the relays to be set to hold up and pull upat difllerent values of current in the motor circuit. I have foundthatby arranging the fixed shell 31 in the relation to the coils and to themovable core 20 shown in Fig. 3, and bymaking the upper end of the core20' tapered, the result is attained that the core 20 will be held raisedby thesaine current in the coil P at difi er ent raised positions of thecore 20, overquite a wideran'ge. Or. looking at itin another way, I havefound that with the parts constructed and arranged substantially asshown the core 20 will be released by the coil P at substantially thesame value of current in said coil" whether the upper end of said coreis a greater or less distance, within certain limits, within the fixedshell 31. This arrangement, there fore, is free from the objection,heretofore often found in relays used for the same purpose, that themovablc'corewill pull up I under the influence of the'shunt coil andwill fall to different points before it will be caught by themagnetizing 'elfect of the series coil,- with the result that the corewould drop at different current values in, Y

the seriescoildepending upon the position of the core within that coil.

It is not my intention to limit myself to the use of my invention inconnection with the particular system of motor control hereinillustrated, nor do I wishto conveythe impression that the exact"construct-ion and arrangement of parts in the relays herein shown arenecessary, since it will be understood bytliose familiarfwith this artthat my invention may be applied to systems of many kinds andvthat theessential. features of my relays'may be embodied in many otherconstructions and types of relay.

I aim to cover all embodiments of'my invention whichcome within the ofasdefined by the following claims.

- Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure'by' Letters Patent of the Unitedstates, is:

1. In an electromagnetically operated switch, a fixed'contact member, amovable contact member cooperating therewith, a magnetizing coil, a coreof magnetic material movable in'the field thereof and operativelyconnected to said movable'contact member,

a shell of magnetic material located within" scope there- I switch, afixed contact said coil adj acent the the movable core in its movemententers said coil, andmeans for regulating, the permeability of themagnetic circuit of which said magnetic shell forms a part.

2; In an electromagnetically operated switch, a fixed contact member, amovable contact member cooperating therewith, a

eratively connected to said movable contact .at the point member, ashell of magnetic material located within said coil adjacent the endthereof at which the movable core in its movement enters said coil, andanother shell of magnetic material movable to and from said firstmentioned shell to vary the permeab-ility of the magnetic circuitthrough said coil.

4; In an electromagnetically operated switch, a fixed contact ember, amovable contact, member cooper ting therewith, a magnetizing coil, a cof magnetic material having a taper end arranged to move in the magneticfield produced by said coil and operatively connected to said movablecontact member, a shell of magnetic material located within said coiladjacent the end thereof into which the tapered end of said core moves,and another shell of magnetic material movable toward and away from saidfixed shell.

5. In an electromagnetically operated switch, a fixed contact member, amovable contact member cooperating therewith, a

magnetizing coil, a core of magnetic material having a tapered endarranged for move ment within the magnetic field produced by said coiland operatively connected to said movable contact member, a fixed shellof magnetic material located within said coil to which the tapered endof said core moves, and a second shell of magnetic material movabletoward and away from said fixed shell whereby the permeability of themagnetic circuit through said coil can be regulated.

6. In a relay, a fixedcontact member, a movable contact membercooperating therewith, a magnetizing coil, a frame of magnetic materialarranged to furnish a mag end thereof at which fixed shell of .currentcarrying cdils,

netic circuit of low permeability from one end of said coil to theother, a core of ma,; netic material having a tapered end arranged formovement within said coil and c'peratively connected to said movablecontact member, a shell of magnetic material fixcdwithin'said coil atthe point to which the tapered end of the core moves, a second shell ofmagnetic material adjustably supported in said frame for movement withinsaid coil toward and away from said firstnentioned shell whereby thepermeability of the magnetic circuit through said coil can be regulated.

7. In an electromagnetically operated switch, a fixed contact member, amovable contact member cooperating therewith, an actuating coil, aholding coil, a core of magnetic material movable in the fields of saidcoils and operatively connected to said movable contact member, a shellof magnetic material located within oneof said coils adja'cent the endthereof at which the movable core in its movement enters said coil, andanother shell of magnetic materialmovable to and from said firstmentioned shell to vary the permeability of the magnetic circuit throughsaid coils.

8. In an electromagnetically operated switch, a fixed contact member,movable contact member cotiperating therewith, two magnetizing coils, acore of magnetic inaterial having a tapered end movement within themagnetic field pro dnced by said coils and operatively connected to saidmovable contact member, a magnetic material located within one of said.coils at the point to which the. tapered end of the core moves, and asecond shell of magnetic material movable toward and away from saidfixed shell whereby the permeability of the magnetic circuitthrough'said coils can be regulated.

9. In an electromagnetically operated switch, a fixed contact member, amovable contact member cooperating therewith, two a core of magneticmaterial having a tapered end arranged to move in the magnetic fieldproduced by bothof aid coils and operatively connected to said movablecontact member, a shell of magnetic material located within one of saidcoils at the end into which the tapered end of said core moves, andanother shell of magnetic material movable toward and away from saidfixed shell.

10. A relay comprising a frame of magnetic material, two coils arrangedon the same axis within said frame, a 'core of magnetic material havinga tapered end movable from one coil partially into the other, a hell ofmagnetic material located within the coil into which the tapered end ofthe arranged for jacent the other coil, a second shell of ma; contactmember.

core moves and at that end of said coil adnection between said core andsaid movable 10 netic material movable through said frame In witness,whereof, I have hereuntoset within one of said coils and toward and myhand this 22nd day of June, 1909.

away from said first mentioned shell Where- 7 by the permeability of'themagnetic circuit EUGENE OARICHOFF of said coils can be regulated, afixed con- \Vitnesses:

tactmember, a movable contact member 00- HELEN ORFORD, operatingtherewith, and an operatwe con- BENJAMIN B. HULL.

copies 0! this pltent may be obtained for live cents each, by midi-suingthe "Gommlnloner of Pstentl. walhington, D. C.

